By James Gonser
Advertiser Leeward Bureau
KAPOLEI — A $3 million business development proposed at Barbers Point Harbor has advanced, receiving approval from the Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting. It now will go before a City Council committee.
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| Proposed for the harbor barge basin is a small-boat repair facility, a liquified petroleum gas storage terminal and a boat ramp.
Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser |
Planners approved a special management area use permit last week for applicant Phoenecian LLC, owned by Fred Anawati, and the project could be heard by the council Zoning Committee as soon as March 20. If approved in committee, the project will then go before the full council.
Anawati, who owns several marine companies, including Marisco Ltd., owner of Hawai‘i’s largest private floating drydock, hopes all approvals can be completed by April 5 and construction can start soon afterward.
The 7.5-acre, three-part project includes a small-boat repair facility, a liquefied petroleum gas storage terminal facility and a public boat ramp which is to be at Pier 1 on Malakole Road between the barge basin and Kenai Industrial Park, on land leased from the Campbell Estate.
"Kapolei is growing, and we do need this type of facility," Anawati said.
He filed a draft environmental assessment in December and a finding of no significant impacts with the state office of environmental quality control last month.
In approving the project, city planners recommended that Anawati install and maintain landscaping to enhance and screen the boat repair facility.
Anawati also must submit a wetland management plan to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for a half-acre wetland area, which is a habitat for Hawaiian stilts.
"After the permitting is completed, we will sit down with federal people and see if can buy some other property for a wildlife preserve or, if they are not willing to do that, we will fence in the area," Anawati said.
The boat ramp is being proposed in partnership with Ko Olina Marina and includes restrooms and parking. The ramp would be open to the public and would be a substitute for an existing ramp at Ko Olina. Anawati said the ramp proposal is tentative because the state Harbors Division is hesitant to allow a ramp near large commercial vessels.
Robin Foster, a planning consultant for Plan Pacific, told the Makakilo/Kapolei/ Honokai Hale Neighborhood in January that boats up to 300 tons in need of repair will be pulled out of the water with a mobile hoist.
Small boats are being repaired at the Ke‘ehi and Ala Wai boat harbors and at Kewalo Marine Services, Foster said.
Anawati said one of his goals is to train workers for journeyman positions at the boat repair facility and at Marisco.
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